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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 141, 15 June 1874, Page 2

Some strange fatality, says the Otago Z>aily Times, appears to be prevalent in the ranks of the members of the medical profession in New Zealand, as within the last two months three surgeons or pretended surgeons have graduated inside the walls of Dunedin Gaol for various offences. A carrier pigeon about four months old (says the Thames Advertiser) which had been trained here, was taken to Auckland od Monday, and despatched to the Thames with a message regarding the result of the races next day. Although the weather was most; unfavorable, the bird arrived with its message exactly fifty-one minutes after it was released on the race-course.

Mr Holloway, representative of the Lancashire Laborers' Association, purposed a visit to the Hononu Water race yesterday, in company with his Honor the.Superintendopt. "On returning, his intention is to visit Greymouth and the Grey distict, more particularly the Ahaura Plains, and the farming localities in that neighborhood, and if time permit he is likewise anxious to comply, with ; the suggestion of. the. f Superintendent of Nelson in paying a flying visit to Reefton and the luangahua district. His stay, however, is necessarily limited now, and it is somewhat doubtful if he will be able to proceed | further than the Ahaura.— G. JR. Argus, June 12. . We observe that the tonnage on the berth in London loading for Australia and New Zealand, on the 16th April, was not less than 64,260 tons, while at the same time the amount for India, China, and the Cape of Good Hope, was 47,320. The Orieutal trade long headed the list, but the Australasian Colonies would now seem to have taken a very long lead, indicative of a large a healthy growth. According to the Treasurer's late statement, lhe revenue of the Province of Auckland is estimated at £92,000; the expenditure at £115,000, showing an an excess over revenue of £23,000, but this is more than met by an advance of £40,000 offered by the General Government as against land sales, on condition that it shall be appropriated before being borrowed, in order that the purposes to which the money is to be applied may be known. The Westland Register mentions a ".scene " which took place in the Provincial Council on Monday evening, our contemporary says: — " The sudden termination of the Council's proceedings last night was rather startling to the public present. Mr Seddon's notice of his intention to move to-night a motion of *want of confidence in the Executive, although somewhat abrupt was not altogether unexpected, and it is perhaps just as well the matter should be settled off-hand. After the adjournment of the Council, several of the public remained in the Council Chamber, and one notorious Borough magnate — a spectator of the proceedings— -was extremely excited by the turn affairs had taken, and loudly expressed his desire to bet ' tin Ao foive' that the Executive would retain office. He even went so far as to beard Mr Seddon, and only calmed by the apparition of Constable O'Malley, the Serjeant-at-Arms.'* The London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus says : — " The intelligence from the new goldfields at the Cape is iooked for with considerable interest. There are four mails a month from there, . and each one brings news of increased yields, and of the population of the fleld becoming larger. The gr«at difficulty seems in the transport, the distance being so great to Ley denburg, from, either Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, or even Durban, in Natal. From Delagoa Bay, it is about 140 miles, but road communication is in a most primitive condition on that route, and fever and the tsetse fly are also unpleasant obstacles. Delagoa Bay has hitherto not been much frequented by shipping, and its seaward traffic has yet to be created. It'is Said, however, that the Union Steam Company are arranging for the Zanzibar. and Cape steamers to call there. At present Durban, near 500 miles from Leydenburg, is supposed to be the nearest available port, but Port Elizabeth, we are told, possesses the advantage of being the starting point of a line of coaches to the goldfields, the fare by which, including inn accommodation, is about £40. The distance is about 800 miles, and, as night .travelling is not attempted, the journey is performed in about 11 days. There is also a coach line between Cape Town and .Leydenburg-— a transit of 1200 miles. The town of Lorenzo Marques at Delagoa Bay is said to be very badly, situated, and if either by^the decision of Marshal MacMahon, as arbitrator between England and Portugal, or by. purchase, it should come into our possession, one of the first steps will be to remove it to a more healthy site; and no doubt English enterprise, with the incentive of a rich goldfield in the neighborhood, will soon open up the route, regardless of natural difficulties. As to f,he accounts from the goldfields themselves, you have probably as late intelligence now as we have, as our latest dates were to the 16th of February, at which time the Cyphreneß was at Cape Town, and . a telegram from Adelaide of the 17th instant has told us of the arrival of the steamer there. Now that the Ashantee war is over, we are likely to hear a deal of the goldfields in that country. Captain Butler, who has been over a large portion of: it, states that there is every appearance of there being rich fields; and he believes that were that generally known, not all the hostility of the natives, nor the unwholesomeness of the climate, would prevent a large increase of adventurers skilled in the search for precious metal. As Captain Butler has visited many of the principal goldfields of the world, his opinion is of some weight." The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher says on the subject of dancing :~"It is wicked when it is wicked, and not wicked when it is not wicked. In itself it has no more moral character than walkiDg, wrestling, or rowing. Bad company, untiraely hours, evil dance?, may make the exercise evil ; good company, wholesome hours, and home influence, may make it a very great benefit." -— ■